Awareness Ribbon Colors and Meanings
Black Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of mourning, melanoma, and gang prevention
Blue Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of drunk driving, child abuse, Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), the victims of hurricane Katrina, dystonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), alopecia, Education, Epstein-Barr Virus, Save the Music, colon cancer (alternative ribbon color: brown), colorectal cancer (alternative ribbon color: brown), and anti-tobacco – particularly anti-second hand smoke (in Canada; alternative ribbon color: brown), I Love Clean Air/ILCA Campaign (Japan)
Brown Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is an anti-tobacco symbol as well as a symbol of colon cancer (alternative ribbon color: blue), colorectal cancer (alternative ribbon color: blue)
Burgundy Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of brain aneurysm, Cesarean section (worn upside down), headaches, hemangioma, vascular malformation, hospice care, multiple myeloma, William’s syndrome, Thrombophilia, Antiphospholid Antibody Syndrome, and adults with disabilities
Dark Blue Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of arthritis, child abuse prevention, victim’s rights, free speech, water quality, and water safety
Flag Ribbon:
Meaning: This style of ribbon is a symbol for both the victims and heros of the 9/11 attacks. It is also a symbol of patriotism and support of our troops. In addition, it is a symbol of fireworks safety.
Gold Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol for childhood cancer
Green Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of childhood depression, missing children, open records for adoptees, environmental concerns, kidney cancer, tissue/organ donation, homeopathy, and worker and driving safety
Grey Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of diabetes, asthma, and brain cancer
Jigsaw Puzzle Ribbon:
Meaning: This style of ribbon is a symbol for autism
Lace Ribbon:
Meaning: This style of ribbon is a symbol for osteoporosis
Lavender Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol for general cancer awareness. It can also be a symbol for epilepsy, and rett syndrome
Light Blue Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of childhood cancer (alternative color: pink), prostate cancer, Trisomy 18, and scleroderma
Orange Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of leukemia, hunger, cultural diversity, humane treatment of animals, and self-injury awareness
Pale Yellow Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of spina bifida
Pearl Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol for emphysema, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and multiple sclerosis
Periwinkle Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of eating disorders and pulmonary hypertension
Pink Ribbon :
Meaning: Most commonly associated with breast cancer awareness, this ribbon is also a symbol for birth parents, and childhood cancer awareness (alternative color: light blue)
Pink and Blue Ribbon:
Meaning: This style of ribbon is a symbol for miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant death due to SIDS or other causes
Purple Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of pancreatic cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid cancer, domestic violence, ADD, alzheimer’s, religious tolerance, animal abuse, the victims of 9/11 including the police and firefighters, Crohn’s disease and colitis, cystic fibrosis, lupus, leiomyosarcoma, fibromyalgia and Sarcoidosis
Rainbow Ribbon:
Meaning: This style of ribbon is a symbol of gay pride and support for the GLBT community and their quest for equal rights.
Red Ribbon :
Meaning: Most commonly associated with the fight against AIDS and HIV, this ribbon also is a symbol for heart disease, stroke, substance abuse, MADD, DARE, Epidermolysis Bullosa, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
Silver Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol for children with disabilities, Parkinson’s disease, and mental illnesses such as severe depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders.
Teal Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol for ovarian, cervical, and uterine cancers as well as sexual assault, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and tsunami victims
White Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of innocence, victims of terrorism, violence against women, peace, right to life, bone cancer, adoptees, and retinal blastoma
Yellow Ribbon :
Meaning: We’ve all seen this symbol used to support our troops, but it is also a symbol for MIA/POW, suicide prevention, adoptive parents, amber alerts, bladder cancer, spina bifida, endometriosis, and a general symbol for hope. A yellow ribbon with a heart is used to represent the survivors left behind after a suicide.






Great to know all the color ribbons stand for. Curious…what’s about awareness ribbon color for Deaf?
JJ,
About Deaf ribbon, we don’t have one.
Thank you for sharing the information about their color ribbons and meanings. Remember we learn something new everyday. Thanks again.
Oh, I must be blind about colorectal cancer ribbon.
Deaf Pixie
There is a black and white striped ribbon for carcinoid cancer.
http://www.personalizedcause.com/
It tells you everything from A to Z.
Should we make our own color ribbon for Deaf Awareness? Any idea what color? What’s about design on the ribbon? Thinking about it?
hearing disorders and hearing impairements are gold and silver
Hi, I just love your web site. I have received aLOT OF VERY INFORMATIVE INFO.. cOULD you please let me know if there is a colored ribbon for skin cancer.. I am a survivor from breast and cerical cancer. I work with the relay for life here in west seneca N.Y. I have had alot of people ask. Thanks for all your hard work we really appreciate it.
Donna
Donna, the colored ribbon for skin cancer is black.
Thank You all so much!!!
Great website
I am a Nurse and have been put in charge of ribbons for your staff. We certainly want people to be aware of these conditions and disease processes.
Hello, there is also a Turquoise Ribbon, which means Sign Languages around the World. For more information check it: http://www.oeglb.at/?id=LH2004-12-13-1100
Bug the yellow ribbon is also for men in prison also years ago when it was started in support for troops some people complained and said it was for men in prison and didnt like the idea for support of troops..
i think in the 1960′s it was for the men in prison i cant remember..
My daugther have leukemia and i wanna do a tatto,i didn’t no what to do but now i now what ribbon is the correct for me.very nices job,thanks
I was just wondering if anyone knew where you can find legal awareness ribbons to use for images? I am starting an awareness forum and want to make signature tags and want to make sure that I am copyright compliant. I am not sure where to look for any. Thanks very much for any info you might have.
Ronda-Breast Cancer Fighter
Aromagirl2, the colored ribbon for leukemia is orange.
Ronda, you may use our images if you can’t find one. Good luck with your awareness forum.
Can you please update this site? The turquoise ribbon stands for sign language around the world. Please add it.
I would like to think you about how you gave me information about the awearness ribbins its a good source of imfo’ i would like to be able to aks more qestions about these awearness ribbins
I really enjoyed reading your blog post here, this article was extremely interesting, especially since I was searching for mesothelioma resource subject last week. Keep it up. Thanks.
thanks reply
Indeed, there is a high-quality content, I congratulate you.
Is there a ribbon color for spinal cancer?
Is there a ribbon for blind or visually impaired?
just fyi green is also gastroschisis awareness!!
Hello! I just would like to give a huge thumbs up for the great info you have here on this post. I will be coming back to your blog for more soon.
This is a great website. I dident know there was that much ribbons. Which one is the one for chest cancer.
RB
I think its actually a butterfly. At least it is in Australia.
What about Traumatic Brain Injury? I wanted to make some tshirts, but I want the correct color ribbon. I thought it was green but we went to a Brain Injury awareness Walk this past weekend and the bracelates were turquoise.
The color ribbon of Traumatic Brain Injury is still green.
thanks for da info. ive been looking for a symbol for leukemia or some type of ribbon i lost my mom at really young age n i wanted to put a tattoo, but do u think if i put da orange ribbon it wont get ppl confused
I”m with JJ…what is the color ribbon for the hearing impaired?
Hello, Is there a ribbon color For a person who has disappeared and never found?
I found several websites that say the blue ribbon is for deaf awareness Here a link to one of them
http://www.wits.ac.za/academic/humanities/education/deaf%20studies/8100/blue_ribbon_campaign.html
Here’s another more updated site that I copied and pasted a line from that give more detail of the colors and meanings.
SILVER and GOLD – Deafness, Ear Related Disorders and Diseases, Hearing Impairment or Loss, Ménière’s Disease, Tinnitus.
http://www.kyledesigns.com/category/useful_information.awareness-ribbons-colors-meanings/
i see nothing that shows the deaf
Would like to know if there is a ribbon color for abused children.
What is the color for Brain Injury?
Hi my grandma had breast cancer is there one for that cause i cant read so i dont know…im only six